Abstract

This paper collates some of the experience of managers, tutors, and learners who have used live, audio-visual communication systems for distance learning. Eight heuristics are abstracted from this experience and used to reason about how digital communications could make one such system more effective. The heuristics are: (i) encourage other (non-training) uses for the communications network; (ii) encourage the participation of otherwise unavailable experts; (iii) exploit visual images, both to communicate information and to support information presented verbally; (iv) avoid technology-induced, inequable opportunity for learning; (v) encourage analogies with face-to-face learning modes, rather than conventional television and home video; (vi) help users to find out about other participants and what they are able to see and hear; (vii) actively encourage interaction; and (viii) reassure tutors that the apparent intrusiveness of the technology is just an initial impression.